Tony Iommi To Have Surgery To Remove Lump From His Throat

After battling lymphoma during the past four years -- which is in remission -- Iommi will have preventative surgery to remove a lump from his throat.

Iommi tells the Irish Times that "at the moment there's no activity where I had the cancer before -- but there is activity in my throat. When I get back to England I have to have an operation to remove this thing at the back of my nose. The doctors found a lump and we don't know if it's cancer or what. But I feel OK at the moment."

Iommi plans to be back on his feet, and on stage, for the final leg of Sabbath's The End farewell tour, a nine-date European run that commences January 17 in Cologne, Germany, and wraps with a pair of shows February 2 and 4 in the groups' home town of Birmingham, England.

Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.